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NFC

Near field communication (NFC) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more than a few centimetres. Present and anticipated applications include contactless transactions, data exchange, and simplified setup of more complex communications such as Wi-Fi. Communication is also possible between an NFC device and an unpowered NFC chip, called a "tag".

NFC standards cover communications protocols and data exchange formats, and are based on existing radio-frequency identification (RFID) standards including ISO/IEC 14443 and FeliCa. The standards include ISO/IEC 18092 and those defined by the NFC Forum, which was founded in 2004 by Nokia, Philips and Sony, and now has more than 160 members. The Forum also promotes NFC and certifies device compliance.

Credit and debit cards have significantly cut back on the amount of cash people carry with them at a given time. But what if you could reduce the number of cards you carry to just one -- or even eliminate your wallet entirely? In the latest video of ...

Apple is preparing to expand its presence in the mobile-payment space, according to a new report. Eddy Cue, the company's senior vice-president of Internet software and services, has met with "industry executives" to discuss Apple's role in handling ...

Fast-food chain McDonald's is giving kids a reason to get excited beyond the ball pit. The restaurant has started rolling out NFC-enabled "Happy Tables" that transform tables into virtual racetracks. By placing a smartphone with wireless NFC capabili...

Amid the digital revolution, outdoor advertising has remained stubbornly resistant to change. Electronic billboards can display video and occasionally run tweets or Facebook comments from fans, but they don't react dynamically in the same way as onli...

ClearHart Digital -- the company behind the KillSwitch app that banishes ex-loves from your Facebook feed -- is bringing its ethos to the outdoor music festival. The company, along with partner Esurance, launched its NFC-enabled Insider Band on Aug. ...

As beautiful as it may be, jewelry is purely for fashion -- not function. However, one Kickstarter project is changing that perception with a new campaign. Enter the NFC Ring, which can be used to share information, as well as unlock mobile phones an...

LAS VEGAS -- Last year, two security researchers showed how to hack an NFC-enabled ticket to get free rides on public transportation, taking advantage of a poorly implemented security feature. Just several months later, two teenage Italian hackers di...

Let's be real: Pockets, holsters and purses don't always stash your phone in an accessible or stylish fashion. Canadian-based design company They Innovate has a nifty solution with Clipless. The creators launched a Kickstarter campaign to catalyze su...

BARCELONA -- Your next Galaxy S smartphone might also be your Visa card. That's because Visa and Samsung announced Monday that Visa's NFC payment system will be built into all future Samsung smartphones. This is a big win for Visa, Samsung and viabil...

LAS VEGAS -- Sony may have just debuted the cutest Bluetooth speaker in the world. About the size of an apple, the SRS-BTV5 is a tiny speaker that produces big sound. And it comes in pink. Manly men, be informed it also comes in white and black, but ...

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. In July, card issuers and banks reached a $7.25 billon settlement with mer...

Two mobile security researchers discovered that it was possible to hack certain subway cards for free rides. What's worse, they think the trick isn't too hard to reproduce -- all they needed was a simple smartphone. However, it's unclear who is to bl...

Apple may have skipped near-field communication in the iPhone 5, but that hasn't stopped everyone else from getting on board the NFC train. The latest passenger: Moo.com, which just started experimenting with NFC business cards, with a planned rollou...

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